I was ten or eleven years old and on a mini vacation staying with my aunt. I'm not sure if it was a vacation for me or from me but a vacation non the less. My aunt was dating a well known contractor in the Detroit area, so he took us to Greektown for dinner one night. The flamming cheese, the smell of sweet meats and expensive cigars filled my brain with new things I had never experienced before. I remember the meal was fantastic and entertaining. I also remember that I had to wear my good clothes, but I always did when dining with my aunt and Chuck as he was then known to me. My favorite part however had to be when a large, smelly man in a suit came to our table and wispered something in my, soon to be, uncle's ear. I didn't hear what he said but a few minutes after he left my uncle leaned over to me and asked if I knew who that was. Naturally I said no, I was ten. He replied with "That was the last person to ever see Jimmy Hoffa alive."

My current drink of choice:

Dewars rocks

I really wish I could:

Declare my own country and rule it with an iron fist

My "Go-to" dinner party dish:

White bean ragout crusted goat cheese

My favorite comfort food:

Cheese, any and every kind imaginable

My top 5 favorite restaurants:

I'm not going to be one of those pretentious a-holes so I'll be honest. The best pizza in town is at Logan's Alley on Michigan Street. The best sushi is at Shogun on 28th and Breton. The best over-all selection is at WaterMark Country Club (the dinning room is open to the public) The best Tex-Mex is at Tequilla Willy's at 4mile and Alpine and the best burger in town still comes from the ChooChoo grill at Plainfield and Leonard.

My most tattered cookbooks:

It's the tweenty-first century. Who still uses cook books for anything but regifting.